A-B Tech Graduate Recruited to England to Oversee Medical Records Unit
A-B Tech graduate Bryan Burrell, and his wife Margaret, are across the Thames River from Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in London, during a visit while Burrell works for the U.S. Air Force as the Director of Inpatient Administration at the 48th Medical Group in Lakenheath, England.
Everyone knows a degree from A-B Tech can take you places, and one student let it take him to a whole other continent.
Bryan Burrell, a 1996 graduate of the College Transfer Program and recipient of a Practical Nursing diploma at A-B Tech in 1991, is the Director of Inpatient Administration for the 48th Medical Group in Lakenheath, England.
After Burrell graduated from A-B Tech, he transferred to Western Carolina University, where he majored in Health Information Management, graduating in 1999. He passed the Registered Health Information Administrator certification exam, and was recruited by the Social Security Administration. He worked in the Disability program for five years in the Asheville Social Security office.
The Department of the Air Force recruited Burrell, as a civilian, in July 2004. Up until that time, he had also been teaching at A-B Tech for two years at night as an Adjunct Instructor in the Medical Office Administration program. "Working for Misty Shuler, Chair of Administrative/Medical Systems Technologies, was a terrific experience," Burrell said.
He now works about 60 miles northeast of London at the Royal Air Force base that houses the 48th Fighter Wing. "We have the largest Air Force hospital on the island," Burrell said.
"I am mainly based at RAF Lakenheath, but also oversee the Air Force Inpatient Administration units in Incirlik, Turkey, Aviano, Italy, and Spangadelm, Germany," he said. "Basically, what I do is to supervise the unit that processes all of the inpatient medical records for the Medical Group; this includes assembly and analysis, coding, transcription and statistics."
The Medical Group serves all active duty, dependant, and retiree patients in the country with the full range of medical specialties. Burrell is in Lakenheath for five years, until the Air Force chooses somewhere else to send him and his family.
"I brought my entire family with me on this journey, my wife Margaret, son Patrick and daughter Brittany. We found out I had been selected for the position in late July 2004 and actually moved on Sept 11th." They left behind several family members and all of their friends in Asheville.
Patrick was a sophomore at UNCA before his family left the States, and he now works on the base at a credit union. Brittany is a senior at Lakenheath High School and will graduate in June, after which she and her brother plan on returning for college here in the mountains, either at A-B Tech, Western Carolina or UNCA.
Giving up their home, family and friends was a difficult thing to do, but was worth it, according to Burrell. "This is the chance of a lifetime for my family and me. We have already seen a lot of England. We have traveled to Dover and Windsor Castles, the London Bridge, Birmingham, Houses of Parliament, and several other sites," he said.
His family also plans to explore the Netherlands and western Germany over spring break in April. "We are learning and experiencing the cultures of the various peoples in Europe and want to see as much as we can before my tour is completed," Burrell said.
ESL Program Happenings
A-B Tech ESL student Antonio Alvarado was featured in a series of stories by Susan Reinhardt in the Asheville Citizen-Times March 6 and 7 chronicling his struggles as a single father confined to a wheelchair.
Two instructors have competed their ESL certification from Western Carolina University. Margaret Bradshaw received a graduate certificate in ESL from Western while working on her master's degree. Priscilla Dreisbach received an MA in English with a concentration in ESL.
Bradshaw and Dreisbach teach at Grace Baptist Church. Other locations for classes off campus include Mission Hospital and Grove Park Inn for their employees, and most recently at Avery's Creek Elementary. "We expect to add some new locations for fall semester," said Jennifer Yowell, ESL coordinator.
Praise for ESL from students
"If I can speak more English, I can get a better job. I came to the US in 2000, speaking NO English. Now I have a good job‹better than the one I had originally, as a food server. I work at the hospital speaking English every day. I'm still coming to ESL classes in order to have more confidence in my English skills."
- Mauricio Melgar Delgado, El Salvador
"I have been an English student for almost the last 7 years and I have paid for very expensive English courses, but I have never ever before received the teaching I get at A-B Tech. The teachers are excellent. They are always looking all the time for the best ways to teach, and the students really learn. I have studied in other colleges in the US but none of them has the wonderful program that A-B Tech has in the ESL Lab‹it is excellent. Really I can say that my English has improved a lot just in the few months since I arrived here. I want to thank everyone in the ESL department."
- Olga Escobar, Colombia
Spring Fling
Students enjoyed beautiful weather during A-B Tech's Student Government Association Spring Fling March 30 in the Azalea Building parking lot. Partakers were treated to music and lunch from Arby's restaurants.